Are You Up To Building A Wooden Shed Yourself?

Just what are the necessary skills required to building your own backyard wooden shed? Let\’s say you don\’t consider yourself to be particularly handy with construction tools. Well, this can certainly be the perfect project to learn basic carpentry skills. And the way to do it is by purchasing a precut wooden shed kit. Many are available online. Precut kits include all the pieces (already cut, of course) along with the instructions. Putting it together is as easy as laying out the parts of each section on the ground and nailing them together.

Building the foundation, setting the walls and putting on the roof can all be done with no help because of the shed\’s relatively small size. For example, when you set up the walls, just nail on temporary braces to help you hold them up while you attach them to each other.

You will mostly need a few basic tools to do the job such as, a drill, a hammer, a level, a measuring tape and a saw (it will still be necessary to make a few cuts even though you purchased a precut kit). The tape measure is used to measure the walls for square. To do this, measure the distance of opposite corners (for example, top right and bottom left). Now measure the other two. The measurements will be the same if it is square.

I would recommend screwing all the boards together instead of hammering them with nails. Not only are the connections stronger but its actually easier than nailing and it can be taken apart by simply unscrewing it if you mess up.

One of the most important tools you can use is a level. Usually, the longer the level is the better your results will be. But for this project, a 12-inch level should be fine. First, check to make sure the foundation is level horizontally. If not, you will have to add or subtract dirt or sand under the cinder block(s) that need adjusting. Check for level both ways – North/South and East/West.

When you start adding the walls, you will also need to check that the walls are level vertically (or plumb). Its really important to have all the walls plumb, level and square or you will have noticeable problems when you start assembling the roof.

Remember to have fun with this project as this can be a great learning experience. The real reward – knowing you built your shed with your own two hands.

Dan Reiling has built garden sheds for over 20 years and consults other with how to build their own. Before you start building your own wooden shed, be sure to visit his web site: BestWoodenSheds.com for information on plans, materials and construction tips.

Tagged with: backyard structures • cabanas • DIY • garden sheds • gardening • gazebos • home Improvement • playhouses • storage sheds • wooden sheds

Filed under: home Improvement

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